The police must step up their efforts after shootings in several areas in Oslo – Greater Oslo

– We in the Oslo police district are now implementing targeted efforts in priority areas to contribute to increased security and to prevent crime.

This is what Oslo police chief Ida Melbo Øystese says at a press conference on Tuesday morning.

These areas are prioritized by the police:

• Center unit: Greenland and Tøyen
• Unit west: Majorstuen, Sandvika and Asker centre.
• Unit east: Furuset, Mortensrud/Bjørnerud, Veitvet and Bjørndal.

Which measures are put in place in the various areas may vary, according to the police, but overall they plan for extra presence.

In Unit West, among other things, they must investigate cases fully, even if those involved are under 15, according to Gry Lene Sem in Unit West.

It will strengthen efforts against criminal networks and actors. They will also prioritize investigation and follow-up of children and young people who commit or are exposed to crime.

In addition to the police, Justice and Emergency Services Minister Emilie Enger Mehl and Labor and Inclusion Minister Tonje Brenna are also at the press conference.

– We are going to open the neighborhood police department. So they are establishing a separate unit that will work specifically for Greenland, says Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl.

Several serious incidents of violence

In the last two weeks, there have been at least 13 serious incidents of violence. Firearms were used in three of them.

On Saturday, a man was shot at a kebab restaurant in Greenland.

The man, who is in his early 20s, suffered serious injuries. So far, no one has been caught after the shooting.

In a report from the neighborhood police in Greenland, which VG has seen, the police write that criminals operate freely in the area.

– I understand well that the citizens can feel concern. We take that seriously, says Oslo police chief Ida Melbo Øystese.

Don’t want to say where they will take the money from

The initiative from the police is based on an area analysis, and on a security survey among the residents of Oslo, Asker and Bærum.

More than 30,000 residents responded to the survey, according to Øystese.

The police chief believes that after several decades of a decline in crime, things are now going in the wrong direction.

She is particularly concerned about the increase in crime among young people in the past year, the use of violence and the carrying of knives.

Where they will get the money from, the police chief does not want to go into more detail.

– I do not want to increase the vulnerability in other parts of the business by making it public knowledge. Nor are we going to go into detail in the budget and the number of police officers, says Øystese.

She says that they also work closely with other actors, such as the government, municipalities, voluntary organisations, business, sports clubs and religious communities.

A separate, small police station in Greenland

The Minister of Justice says they want a dedicated effort in the area around Greenland, and that this is done as an extension of the community police patrol that was established last year.

– For the government, it is extremely important to get the police out of the house and onto the streets. For example, they have been out and talked to shop owners and people in Greenland, and got quite a lot of information, says Mehl.

This information indicates that Greenland is perceived to be much more unsafe than they have been aware of until now.

– The police are there for all of us, it symbolizes trust, respect and an open society. This must also be the case for the inhabitants of Greenland, she says, and adds:

– You can see it as a separate, small police station.

In the revised budget, they have already notified NOK 675 million extra to the police.

– Idleness is the root of all evil

Labor and Inclusion Minister Tonje Brenna says at the press conference on Tuesday that it is important to choke the basis of the crime.

– Our young people must feel that they belong and that there is a future for them.

Therefore, it is important that the police are present, but schools, child protection, cultural and voluntary organizations also play an important role, according to Brenna.

– I think the fundamental thing is that people must feel that they have mastered life in order to feel belonging and be kept away from crime.

She points out that young people who grow up in poor families often have parents who have little or no connection to working life. According to Brenna, this increases the risk that the children themselves will fall out later.

Do not trust the capacity of the police

In a new survey from NHO, one in three Oslo businesses say that they do not trust the police to be able to follow up on criminal acts.

– Business owners feel that the police have no control. They experience threats and direct confrontations. Crime has come much closer to them.

This is what regional director of NHO Viken Oslo Vegard Eian says to NRK.

The survey reveals that 18 per cent do not trust the police to have the capacity to follow up on incidents that occur. 15 percent say they are unsure.